AggieSTAAR: Introduction to HII Regions

Abstract

This talk was given as part of a weekly lunch talk for the undergraduate researchers in the Aggie Scholarships for Technology Advancements in Astronomical Research (AggieSTAAR) program. In this talk, I gave an overview of HII regions, what they are and how we use atomic physics to study them. I talked in detail about photoionization and recombination and how metals are necessary to cool HII regions. After giving an example spectrum, I introduced how we measure the oxygen abundance of HII regions via the direct method as well as strong-line methods. Finally, I used my experience in the SIGNALS collaboration to show some applications of what we learn about galaxies after estimating HII region abundances. The talk was followed by a Q&A session with the undergraduates, ranging from research to job prospects.

Ray Garner

TAMU Astronomy Postdoctoral Researcher

I’m a scientist, Star Wars fan, and amateur photographer raised in Georgia. My research interests include galaxy evolution, star formation, satellite galaxies, and nebular diagnostics.